Goru Muddhalu scheme, a hit in Guntur

The Nutrition and Health Tracking System (NHTS) relating to children from 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers has been a huge success in the district. The effective implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) by the Women and Child Welfare Department has placed the district on the top, thanks to online and telephonic tracking of the scheme on an individual basis.

The State government has awarded recognition to the department besides awarding individual awards to project director MJ Nirmala for effective implementation of ‘Goru Muddalu’ scheme. Launched in July 2014, the scheme identified 2,208 Severe Under-Weight (SUW) children, 2,168 Severe Accute Malnourished (SAM) children and 9,695 Medium Accute Malnourished (MAM) children.

During the past eight months, the scheme stake holders including Anganwadi workers, health workers and supervisors who are responsible for the health of children and mothers were kept under active surveillance by the officers concerned by online tracking of the action taken and progress of children's weight every month.

Progress of children's health was witnessed every month. An examination covered under the scheme since July 2014 in March 2015 had registered a marked difference in weight and health condition of these children.

The number of children under SUW category came down from 2208 to 914 while those under SAM dropped from 2168 to 371 and children under MAM category came down from 9695 to 1663. Overwhelmed by the success of the scheme, the government has given an award of achievement to all the stake holders in the department and an individual award to project director Nirmala.

Similarly on the prevention of maternal and child infant deaths front, the district occupied a second place in the prevention of mother and child deaths. Under the 'Anna Amrutha Hastham' scheme being implemented in 934 Anganwadi centres under 5 ICDS projects 7,611 pregnant women and 7174 lactating mothers benefitted from the 'Special Nutrition Scheme' who were on a daily basis a fully nutritional meal, one egg and 200 millilitres of double toned milk.

Tirupathamma, a beneficiary from an Anganwadi centre in Lanchannagudipadu Thanda told The Hans India that she and other lactating mothers were receiving good attention from Anganwadi and health staff that had been monitoring their health status right from pregnancy to delivery and post delivery.

“We kept getting regular calls to enquire any loop holes in the programme,” she added. The programme in the State is benefitting 16.76 lakh children in the age group of seven months to 3 years and 12.42 lakh children in the age group of 3 to 6 years besides 4.53 lakh pregnant mothers and 4.40 lakh lactating mothers.

Ratnamma of Anganwadi centre in Macherla village says that she was surprised to get a call from the project director enquiring about her health and problems. Through the scheme, we were supplied nutritious food including four eggs, three kilograms of rice, half a kilogram of oil and daal wach week,” she added.

By Ravi P Benjamin